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Obama agenda: 'Powerful'

The Boston Globe called President Obama’s address at the memorial service yesterday a “powerful, uplifting speech.” More: “At the conclusion of the speech, the 2,000 people in the crowd leapt to their feet, some with tears streaking their cheeks, to deliver a standing ovation.”

The AP: “Called upon to console a grieving city and reassure a shaken nation, President Barack Obama on Thursday promised that Boston would ‘run again’ after deadly twin bombings at its famous marathon. More than 2,000 people rose in a standing ovation in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and sang ‘America the Beautiful.’”

Mitt Romney, who challenged Obama for the presidency in 2012 and who is a former Massachusetts governor, said on CNN that Obama gave a “superb” speech. "I thought the president gave a superb address to the people of this city and the state and the nation. It was an inspiring day."

With President Obama’s speech in Boston yesterday, we took a look back on First Read at the history of tragedy speeches: “There’s been some criticism from the right of President Barack Obama wanting to push for more gun control, post-Newtown. But history shows that, following speeches by presidents in the last half century meant to console, they often do, in fact, seek policy solutions or fixes -- from Lyndon B. Johnson trying to figure out the root causes of violence in America after Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination to Ronald Reagan trying to hold off cuts to the space program after the Challenger explosion to Bill Clinton seeking stronger abilities to fight domestic terrorism after Oklahoma City to George W. Bush on mental illness and guns.”

“Blocked by Congress from expanding gun sale background checks, President Barack Obama is turning to actions within his own power to keep people from buying a gun who are prohibited for mental health reasons,” the AP writes, adding, “The Obama administration was starting a process Friday aimed at removing barriers in health privacy laws that prevent some states from reporting information to the background check system.”